THE THIRD YEAR - i. e., in the third year of his sojourn with the widow. The whole period of drought was three years and a half Luke 4:25; James 5:17 : of this, probably about one year was passed by Elijah in the torrent-course of Cherith, and two years and a half at Sarepta.... [ Continue Reading ]
Obadiah’s name, “servant of Yahweh,” indicates his religious character. It corresponds to the modern Arabic name Abdallah. Ahab could scarcely have been ignorant of Obadiah’s faithfulness to Yahweh; and it tells in favor of the monarch’s tolerance that he should have maintained an adherent of the ol... [ Continue Reading ]
We have no details of Jezebel’s deed of blood. Some have conjectured that it was the answer of Jezebel to Elijah’s threat, and that the command given him to hide in Cherith alone saved him from being one of the victims. This view receives some support from Obadiah’s act and words 1 Kings 18:13. FIFT... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO ALL FOUNTAINS OF WATER AND UNTO ALL BROOKS - Rather, “to all springs of water and to all torrent-courses.” The former are the perennial streams; the latter are the torrent-courses which become dry in an ordinary summer. ALL THE BEASTS - Rather, some, or, “a portion of our beasts.”... [ Continue Reading ]
Obadiah thinks that to execute this commission will be fatal to him 1 Kings 18:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS NO NATION ... - This is expressed in the style of Oriental hyperbole. What Obadiah means is: “there is no nation nor kingdom, of those over which he has influence, whither the king has not sent.” He could scarcely, for example, have exacted an oath from such countries as Egypt or Syria of D... [ Continue Reading ]
ART THOU HE ... - Meaning, “Can it possibly be that thou dost venture to present thyself before me, thou that troublest Israel by means of this terrible drought?” The charge of “troubling” had never before been brought against anyone but Achan (marginal reference “e”); it was one which must have cal... [ Continue Reading ]
Instead of apologies, and pleas for pardon, Elijah meets the charge with a countercharge, and makes a sudden demand. “Gather to me,” etc. This boldness, this high tone, this absence of the slightest indication of alarm, seems to have completely discomfited Ahab, who ventured on no reply, made no att... [ Continue Reading ]
Carmel (Joshua 12:22 note) was chosen by the prophet as the scene of the gathering to which he invited, or rather summoned, Ahab. Its thick jungles of copse and numerous dwarf-oaks and olives, would furnish abundant wood for his intended sacrifice. Here was a perennial fountain; and here again an an... [ Continue Reading ]
Local tradition places the site of Elijah’s sacrifice, not on the highest point of the mountain (1,728 ft.), but at the southeastern extremity (1,600 ft.) of the ridge, where a shapeless ruin, composed of great hewn stones, and standing amid thick bushes of dwarf-oak, in the near vicinity of a peren... [ Continue Reading ]
The people were mute. They could not but feel the logical force of Elijah’s argument; but they were not prepared at once to act upon it. They wished to unite the worship of Yahweh with that of Baal - to avoid breaking with the past and completely rejecting the old national worship, yet at the same t... [ Continue Reading ]
I, EVEN I, ONLY REMAIN - He means, “I only remain in the exercise of the office of a prophet.” The others (Compare 1 Kings 18:4) had been forced to fly and hide themselves in dens and caves of the earth; their voices were silenced; they had not ventured to come to Carmel. Elijah contrasts his solita... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOD THAT ANSWERETH BY FIRE - God had frequently before consumed offerings with supernatural fire Leviticus 9:24; Judges 6:21. The Baal-worshippers were no doubt in the habit of attributing thunder and lightning to their gods - the great Nature-power - and thus had no excuse for declining Elijah’... [ Continue Reading ]
Elijah gives precedence in everything to the Baal-priests, to take away all ground for cavil in case of failure. It is his object to make an impression on king and people; and he feels rightly that the impression will depend greatly on the contrast between their inability and the power given to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CALLED ON THE NAME OF BAAL FROM MORNING EVEN UNTIL NOON - Compare the parallel in the conduct of the Greeks of Ephesus. Acts 19:34. The words “O Baal, hear us,” probably floated on the air as the refrain of a long and varied hymn of supplication. THEY LEAPED UPON THE ALTAR WHICH WAS MADE - The... [ Continue Reading ]
The object of Elijah’s irony was two-fold; (1) to stimulate the priests to greater exertions, and so to make their failure more complete, and (2) to suggest to the people that such failure would prove absolutely that Baal was no God. The force of the expressions seems to be, “Cry on, only cry loud... [ Continue Reading ]
Elijah’s scorn roused the Baal-priests to greater exertions. At length, when the frenzy had reached its height, knives were drawn, and the blood spirted forth from hundreds of self-inflicted wounds, while an ecstasy of enthusiasm seized many, and they poured forth incoherent phrases, or perhaps an u... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY PROPHESIED - Compare 1 Kings 22:12. The expression seems to be used of any case where there was an utterance of words by persons in a state of religious ecstasy. UNTIL THE TIME OF THE OFFERING ETC - Rather, “Until toward the time.” Elijah had built his altar by the actual time of the offer... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BUILT AN ALTAR IN THE NAME OF THE LORD - i. e., calling, as he built it, on the name of Yahweh, and so dedicating it to His service. TWO MEASURES OF SEED - literally, “two seahs of seed.” The seah contained about three gallons.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE PUT THE WOOD IN ORDER ... - He obeyed, that is, all the injunctions of the Law with respect to the offering of a burned sacrifice (marginal reference). He thus publicly taught that the ordinances of the Law were binding upon the kingdom of Israel. BARRELS - Rather, “pitchers” or “water-jars,”... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THE TIME OF THE OFFERING OF THE EVENING SACRIFICE - i. e., probably “the ninth hour,” or three o’clock. Thus there might still remain about five hours of light, during which the other events of the day were accomplished. LORD GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND OF ISRAEL - This solemn address would carry... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THOU HAST TURNED THEIR HEART - The hearts of the people were turning. Elijah speaks of them as already turned, anticipating the coming change, and helping it on.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRE OF THE LORD FELL - This cannot have been a flash of lightning. It was altogether, in its nature as well as in its opportuneness, miraculous. Compare the marginal references for the conduct of the people.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD, HE IS THE GOD - The people thus pronounced the matter to be clearly and certainly decided. Baal was overthrown; he was proved to be no god at all. The Lord Yahweh, He, and He alone, is God. Him would they henceforth acknowledge, and no other.... [ Continue Reading ]
Elijah required the people to show their conviction by acts - acts which might expose them to the anger of king or queen, but which once committed would cause them to break with Baal and his worshippers forever. Elijah is said to have slain the “prophets of Baal,” because the people killed them by... [ Continue Reading ]
GET THEE UP, EAT AND DRINK - Ahab had descended the hill-side with Elijah, and witnessed the slaughter of the priests. Elijah now bade him ascend the hill again, and partake of the feast which was already prepared, and which always followed upon a sacrifice. THERE IS A SOUND OF ABUNDANCE OF RAIN -... [ Continue Reading ]
Ahab could feast; Elijah could not, or would not. Ascending Carmel not quite to the highest elevation 1 Kings 18:43, but to a point, a little below the highest, from where the sea was not visible, he proceeded to pray earnestly for rain, as he had prayed formerly that it might not rain.... [ Continue Reading ]
Tradition says that Elijah’s servant was the son of the widow of Sarepta 1 Kings 17:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
A LITTLE CLOUD ... - Sailors know full well that such a cloud on the far horizon is often the forerunner of a violent storm.... [ Continue Reading ]
Divinely directed, and divinely upheld, Elijah, instead of resting, ran in advance of the king’s chariot the entire distance of at least 16 miles to the entrance of Jezreel. He thus showed himself ready to countenance and uphold the irresolute monarch, if he would turn from his evil courses, and pro... [ Continue Reading ]